CETU JAVU Vinyl & CDs

Review: Cetu Javu's iconic track 'Por Que?' (which as you probably can work out translates as why?) returns on a lovely grey marbled vinyl 12" courtesy of Blanco Y Negro Spain. A timeless classic from the late 80s and early 90s synth-pop and electronic scene, this single captures the band's signature blend of infectious melodies and emotive Spanish vocals. It's a fiery sound that is packed with melancholic undertones and driving rhythms that mean it has remained a dancefloor favourite for fans of vintage electronic sounds. This special edition offers a pristine homage to the era that takes you back in an instant.

Review: Cetu Javu's 'Dame Tu Mano' is something of a classic for lovers of early synth sounds and now it is back and reissued on grey marbled vinyl. Known for their blend of synthpop and Latin-inspired melodies, this track captures Cetu Javu's signature emotive style and irresistible sense of analogue rhythm. Originally a hit in the late 80s and early 90s, this fine single is a staple for fans of 80s beats and its great vocals also bring plenty of old-school vibes.

Review: Cetu Javu's 'Por Que?' gets a fresh release on vinyl from Blanco Y Negro and it's a proper nod to classic dance nostalgia. Side 1 kicks off with the extended mix of 'Por Que?,' a melodic, synth-heavy track packed with infectious grooves, followed by 'Don't Leave Me,' which keeps the energy high with its pulsating basslines and emotive vocals. Side 2 brings a remix of 'Por Que?' that adds a modern twist, alongside the original album version, perfect for fans craving that irresistible late 80s/early 90s dance vibe.

Review: Soanish mega-label Blanco Y Negro continues to reissue rather good, but frequently overlooked, gems from its vast archives. This one, from German-Spanish synth-pop band Cetu Javu, dates from 1992 and sees the combo combine their early Depeche Mode-esque vocals and synth sounds with nods to the more driving, peak-time ready sounds of European house music. That's best exemplified by the opening 'Remix' version of title track 'Dame Tu Mano', which also comes in the moody synth-pop style 'Extended Mix'. Over on the flip, we get the chiming melodies, mid-80s Pet Shop Boys grooves and Euro-dance bleeps of 'Una Mujer (remix)' and the Bobby Orlando-meets-Shep Pettibone fun of 'Tempo (remix)'.

Review: Contrary to its ultra-crisp sound - one that suggests it could've been made today - Cetu Javu's Southern Lands was first released on Basic Mix in 1990. Catering to the largely cassette-bound underground of Barcelona at the time, Basic Mix acted as a little-known sublabel through which acts like Javu could express their best and rawest sides. Comprising Javier Revilla and Chris Demere, Cetu Javu had moved to Barcelona from Hanover, Germany - inspired by the works of Kraftwerk, Soft Cell, and Jean-Michel Jarre - and thus produced Southern Lands following a tour shared with fellow acts Wolfsheim and Blind Passengers. The album is shockingly well-made, bespeaking the power of minimal production and conservative vocal processing to achieve a crystal-clear, no less upfront, 'naked' industrial sound.

Review: Javier Revilla Diez, Chris Demere, Stefan Engelke and Torsten Engelke put out an incredible back catalogue as Cetu Java. Active between 1987 ad 1994, they took inspiration from the formative synth-pop years, but rather than replicating, added plenty to the formula that you could say was specific to this outfit. If that were't obvious back then, it's certainly clear to hear listening back today, 30 years after they disbanded and all-but-vanished from the spotlight (after the split, it would be a quarter century before they fave another media interview). Plenty of mythology around the group, then, Where Is Where was, in many ways, their magnum opus. First released in 1992, it not only calls on the group's European roots - with members from Spain, and a base in Germany - it also opens things up stylistically. So, while songs like the title track, 'Time', 'Sometimes' and many more are saturated in a classic synth pop sound, elsewhere the likes of 'Un Dia Normal', 'Dame Tu Mano' and 'Caribbean Dream' opt for something more exotic altogether, without jarring with difference.